Southend: Man jailed for nine years after knife attack
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A drug addict who launched a vicious knife attack as he robbed a man of hundreds of pounds has been jailed thanks to a tireless investigation.
Dusan Vavrek, 41, was identified and arrested days after he slashed his victim across the hands and head in a bid to steal cash to fuel his drug habit.
The assault was carried out in March this year.
The victim, a man aged in his 70s, first met Vavrek in 2020 when they were neighbours at a multi-occupancy address in Westcliff.
After moving out, Vavrek would continue to regularly visit the victim’s address, on occasion asking for money for cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.
On the afternoon of 31 March this year, Vavrek again visited the victim, who invited him inside and offered him a cup of coffee.
Their conversation shifted towards Vavrek’s need for money to fund his drug habit and the victim noted he appeared to be suffering the effects of withdrawal.
He appeared to be “agitated and uptight”.
The victim told Vavrek he didn’t have any money, electing not to tell the addict about the £900 in savings he had stowed inside a wallet inside the property.
Vavrek’s agitation escalated to the point of violence.
Grabbing the victim, he drew a large axe and demanded money, threatening to kill the victim if he refused.
Vavrek then drew a Stanley knife, using this weapon to slash the victim to his right hand and head multiple times with full force.
The victim relented, taking Vavrek to where his wallet was hidden and handing it over.
Vavrek fled with the wallet and cash, leaving his victim alone and bleeding in his home.
When the victim ventured to the communal bathroom, he was seen by a neighbour who immediately called for an ambulance.
He was treated for five lacerations to his head and face, all of which required stitching.
We launched an investigation and carried out immediate enquiries, locating Vavrek on 3 April this year. He was sleeping rough in a car park in Victoria Avenue.
When searched, he was found to be carrying a knife.
Vavrek was questioned about the assault, but claimed to be suffering with memory loss, possibly as a result of his drug use.
He later admitted robbery, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and three counts of possession of a bladed article.
Appearing at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday 22 October, he was jailed for nine years and two months.
'Drug use and supply fuels violence'
Chief Inspector Dave Browning, Southend district commander, said:
“The victim in this case thought he was going to die at the hands of this violent offender.
“He describes the look in Vavrek’s eyes as ‘desperate’ and a ‘killer look’. He told us Vavrek ‘meant business’.
“This was a horrendous assault carried out against a man who had shown nothing but good will and kindness to Vavrek.
“This case illustrates the wider offending which flows from the supply and use of Class A drugs.
“Addiction causes desperation and devastation, fuelling violent knife crime, disorder and theft.
“We have teams of officers and detectives working across Southend, in local and community policing, CID and our Serious Violence Unit, to tackle this issue.
“We’re committed to bringing the perpetrators of knife crime to justice, but also look to work with partners in the health sector and the criminal justice system to identify the causes and trends fuelling this offending.
“From the outset of this investigation we were determined to get justice for the victim and soon identified Vavrek as the person responsible.
“He has been handed a lengthy sentence as a result of this extensive investigation.”
Knife-related crime falling
Ongoing work in Southend has seen a sustained and continued fall in the number of knife-enabled offences.
In Southend, we have recorded 501 knife-enabled offences in the year to date – a 12% decrease on the same period last year and an 11% decrease on pre-Covid levels.
Where can you get help?
Keeping people safe is at the heart of what we do.
Drugs are illegal for a very real reason. They are dangerous and cause real harm.
We would urge people not to take any illegal substance. You can never be sure what you are taking.
There is help available from local drug addiction services. We urge users to reach out to them.
You can find a list of local organisations offering specialist drug recovery support services on our referral services page.
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